Now that Princess Beatrice surprised us with a secret wedding, we can’t help but reminisce about all of our favorite British royal family weddings. And more specifically, all of the elegant tiaras worn by the likes of Princess Diana, Meghan Markle and even Queen Elizabeth.
Here, nine royal wedding tiaras that we’re still not over.
During last week’s private ceremony, the 31-year-old bride wore the Queen Mary Diamond Fringe tiara. It was given to Princess Beatrice by her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, who has a special connection to the headpiece. The 94-year-old monarch wore the tiara on her wedding day in 1947 (more on that later), when she tied the knot with Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in London.
Like her sister, Princess Eugenie also borrowed a headpiece from her grandmother. The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara dates back to 1919 and features an enormous 93.70-carat emerald at the middle and three smaller emeralds on either side.
According to Kensington Palace, Markle’s gorgeous train-like veil was held in place by Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara, lent to Markle by Queen Elizabeth, that contains a “floral composition” representing each country of the commonwealth. That’s 53 different flowers sewn into her veil, which was designed by Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of Givenchy and the same person who designed Markle’s dress.
For her Scotland wedding to Mike Tindall, Zara opted for the Meander Tiara, loaned to her by her mother Princess Anne. Originally a gift to Queen Elizabeth, the tiara features a classical Greek "key pattern" with one large diamond in the center.
The Duchess of Cambridge wore the “Halo Tiara” (also known as the “Scroll Tiara”) for her big day. The jaw-dropping accessory, which was designed by Cartier using a combination of brilliant-cut and baguette diamonds, was loaned to Middleton by (you guessed it) Queen Elizabeth, who was originally gifted the piece on her 18th birthday by her mother.
In a surprising turn of events, Lady Diana Spencer borrowed her headpiece from her own family archives, rather then taking a dip into her mother-in-law’s closet. She chose to wear the Spencer Tiara (how fitting) for her nuptials to Prince Charles. The family heirloom was also won by her sisters Lady Sarah and Jane, Baroness Fellowes, for their weddings.
Princess Beatrice and Queen Elizabeth weren’t the only ones who rocked the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara while saying “I do.” Princess Anne also wore the headpiece when marrying Captain Mark Phillips. Two other names for the accessory include the King George III Fringe Tiara and the Hanoverian Fringe Tiara.
The British royal took a note from her sister’s fashion playbook when she married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, commissioning Norman Hartnell to create her simple silk organza gown. Per Town and Country, the headpiece, which was originally created for Lady Florence Poltimore in 1970, was reportedly bought by the royal family during an auction in January 1959.
The tiara originally belonged to Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary. It was made in 1919 by U.K. jeweler Garrard and Co., who created the headpiece’s standout fringe design by recycling a necklace that was given to Mary on her wedding day.